Concussions sideline several top NHL stars

NHL CONCUSSIONS

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, December 15, 2011

Buffalo Sabres' Paul Szczechura (58) skates with the puck as Ottawa Senators' Milan Michalek (9), of Czech Republic, collides with Senators' Erik Karlsson (65) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/David Duprey) less

Buffalo Sabres' Paul Szczechura (58) skates with the puck as Ottawa Senators' Milan Michalek (9), of Czech Republic, collides with Senators' Erik Karlsson (65) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in ... more

Photo: David Duprey, AP

Concussions sideline several top NHL stars

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The NHL's goal-scoring leader, Ottawa winger Milan Michalek, and its reigning rookie of the year, Carolina forward Jeff Skinner, have joined the swelled ranks of prominent players sidelined by concussions.

Michalek, a former Shark, was in the midst of a breakout season for the Senators with a league-best 19 goals. Skinner hadn't shown any falloff after his 63-point rookie season, leading the Hurricanes in goals (12) and points (24) through 30 games.

Both were announced to be out indefinitely Wednesday, a day after the Flyers had the same news on league points-scoring leader Claude Giroux, and two days after the Penguins had the same news on Sidney Crosby, who led the league in goals and points last season before sustaining a season-ending concussion in early January and had 12 points in eight games after returning in late November before concussion-like symptoms recurred.

Like Giroux, Michalek was injured on a collision with a teammate. He and defenseman Erik Karlsson were both going full speed and didn't see each other in the neutral zone during Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Sabres.

Ottawa coach Paul MacLean said Michalek felt better Wednesday morning, but a player must be symptom-free for at least a week before being cleared to return from a concussion.

"He leads the league in goals, so obviously he's an important part of our team," MacLean told the Ottawa Citizen. "Right now, we have to follow the concussion protocol."

The Sharks traded Michalek, along with winger Jonathan Cheechoo and a second-round draft pick in 2010, to the Senators in 2009 for winger Dany Heatley and a 2010 fifth-rounder. Michalek had his fourth straight 20-goal season in his first year with Ottawa before dropping to 18 in 66 games last season. He had already eclipsed that mark in 31 games this season, thanks to seven goals in his past eight games.

Michalek's brother, Pittsburgh defenseman Zbynek Michalek, is also out with a concussion, sustained in November.

Carolina also announced Wednesday that defenseman Joni Pitkanen, the Hurricanes' leader in minutes per game, is out indefinitely with a concussion - big blows for a team that has lost 16 of 20 and fired its coach in dropping to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

New coach Kirk Muller promised the Hurricanes would be "extremely careful" in dealing with the injuries.

"We're not naive on the situation as far as how important it is to get these guys healthy before they get back," Muller said. "Whatever that time frame is, we've got to monitor it each day."

Skinner, 19, was hit at Edmonton on Dec. 7, then scratched two nights later at Winnipeg with flu-like symptoms.

He then was held out of Tuesday night's loss at Toronto after the ailment was recharacterized as an undisclosed injury, and general manager Jim Rutherford updated the status of Skinner and Pitkanen on Wednesday.

"He's pretty much been our best player all season," forward Anthony Stewart said of Skinner. "We want to see him back as soon as possible."

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